Mventor



March 24, 1964 T. J. BAYARD 3,125,807

ROTARY CUTTER HAVING MULTIPLE CUTTING SURFACES Filed D80. 21, 1961 INVENTORQ' United States Patent 3,125,807 ROTARY CUTTER HAVING MULTIPLE CUTTING SURFACES Thomas J. Bayard, Evanston, Ill. E. Randolph St., Chicago 1, III.) Filed Dec. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 161,203 2 Claims. (Cl. 3034) This invention relates to a cutting device, and more particularly to a hair cutting device.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a new and improved cutting device.

Various types of hair cutting devices may be broadly classified as either oscillating-reciprocating cutters or rotary cutters. Most such cutters have a single cutting head although cutters with dual cutting heads are shown in U.S. Patent 1,519,601, granted December 1924, in which separate cutting heads are mounted on opposite ends of a hair clipper. Similarly, U.S. Patent 2,485,787, granted October 1949, shows two hair cutting heads including a large rotating cutter and a smaller reciprocating cutter. Shaving devices with a single cutting head are shown in the U.S. Patent 2,265,305, granted December 1941, directed to a circular oscillating cutting head, and U.S. Patent 2,364,162, granted December 1944, showing a rotating or oscillating cutting head. These two shavers both have flat cutting faces. A similar type of rotating clipper head is shown in U.S. Patent 2,663,931, granted December 1953. Both U.S. Patent 2,281,531 granted April 1942, and U.S. Patent 2,315,274, granted March 1943, show shaving devices having narrow curved cutting faces, the first patent showing a rotary shaver and the second both a rotary and oscillatory shaving head. U.S. Patent 2,178,976, granted November 1939, shows shavers, one having a narrow fiat cutting face and the other a narrow curved cutting face.

These patents are generally indicative of the state of art and encompass about thirty years in the development of automatic cutting devices, but all of these cutting heads are suited primarily for only one type of cutting operation. When additional versatility is desired in a cutting device it has been the practice to provide separate cutters, or a cutting device with a plurality of separate cutting heads, or possibly interchangeable heads.

As shown in these patents, cutting heads may have a variety of cutting faces, as narrow or broad, and flat or arcuate. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, the broad, flat cutting faces being more suited in providing an even cut on larger expanses of hair; and the narrow curved cutting faces being more desirable in shaving and trimming, and in cutting hair around the ears or between the toes of dogs and other animals without injury to the animals web.

It is an important object of this invention to provide a new and improved hair cutting device having great versatility and cutting capability.

Another object is provision of a new and improved cutting device having greater versatility for cutting hair or the like, and provided of easily interchangeable parts for regulating cutting depth.

Another object is to provide a cutter having a new and improved cutting head combining a plurality of different types of cutting faces, and providing for air flow to lift hair or other material to facilitate better cutting.

A more specific object of this invention is to provide a new and improved cutting head combining a broad generally fiat cutting face and a narrow arcuate cutting face.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, in which:

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FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section taken generally along the line 2 2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an elevational view looking in the direction of arrow 3 in FIGURE 2, with parts broken away for clearer illustration; and

FIGURE 4 is a section taken generally along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2.

While an illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing it will be described in detail herein, the invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, and it should be understood that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

The invention is, in brief, directed to a cutting device including cutting head having a cutting blade, and a cooperating blade guard defining independent cutting portions, one of the portions being primarily suited for general cutting and the other portion being adapted for trimming and cutting in close places. A feature is simple construction for effecting practical application of the principles of this invention. A further feature of the preferred embodiment is interchangeability of blade guards for varying cutting depth.

Referring to the drawings, FIGURE 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention in the form of a hair cutting device having a frame or casing 10 defining a handle 11 at one end and having a cutting head 12 at the other end. The casing may be of any suitable type and in the illustrated embodiment has two longitudinally parted sections 13 and 14 held together in any suitable manner as by bolts 15.

Cutting head 12 has a broad cutting portion or circular front face 20 for general cutting and illustrated as a substantially flat, circular front face 20, and a narrow cutting portion 21 for trimming and cutting hair in confined areas and illustrated as an arcuate face. These cutting portions are defined by a cutting blade 22 and a blade guard 23 releasably held on casing 10 and enclosing the blade. More particularly, in the illustrated embodiment blade 22 is radial and rigid and is mounted on a shaft 24 for rotation about the longitudinal axis of the shaft. The blade is preferably of integral construction and has radially extending arms 25, which are coplanar in the illustrated embodiment, and fingers 26 extending transversely from outer ends of the arms and toward handle 11. These fingers are spaced equal distances from the axis of rotation. Guard 23 is of generally dishshaped configuration and has a broad, generally circular front wall 27 parallel to and adjacent blade arms 25, and a narrow generally cylindrical side wall 28 extending transversely from the circular periphery of front wall 27 toward handle 11 and in the same general direction as blade fingers 26. Circular front wall 27 of the guard is concentric with and normal to the axis of shaft 24 and guard side wall 28 is concentric about the axis of shaft 24. The side cutting area of portion 20 extends substantially the width of the guard.

As mentioned previously, guard 23 is releasably held on casing 10, and in the illustrated embodiment by means in the form of cooperating portions of the casing and guard. An outwardly extending shoulder 30 on casing 10 is shown in the form of a flange 31, half of this flange being defined by each casing section 13 and 14. A rolled lip 32 on a portion of the free edge of guard side Wall 28 engages and is detachably interlocked with shoulder 30, and latch means including resilient fingers 33 and abutments 34 on the casing, releasably hold the 3 guard on the casing. Guard 23 may be easily removed by bending resilient fingers 33 outwardly and swinging the guard away from the casing about its lip 32 so that guards of various thicknesses may be interchanged for varying cutting depth.

Cooperating stop means on the guard and casing limit movement of guard front wall 27 in the direction of blade arms 25. These stop means are defined in the illustrated embodiment by prongs 35 extending inwardly from guard side wall 28, and stops 36 on the casing. Preferably 3 or 4 prongs and stops are equally spaced on the guard and casing to accurately position the guard front wall 27 in cutting association with blade arms 25.

Means illustrated in the form of the inner surface of guard side wall 28 and the outer peripheral surface of casing 11, maintain guard side wall 28 and blade fingers 26 accurately associated in operative cutting position.

Openings 38 in flange 31 are provided for emptying hair clippings from a pocket 39 in the casing.

Shaft 24 is suitably journalled on casing 10, and as illustrated, by bushings 40 which are suitably seated in opposed portions of the casing sections 13 and 14. The longitudinal axis of this shaft and the blade are inclined with respect to handle 11 and to a motor shaft 41 of a motor 42 so that the cutting head is included with respect to the handle. Motor 42 is suitably mounted in casing 11 for driving shaft 24 and blade 22 through a gear 43 on motor shaft 41 and a pinion 44 on shaft 24. Motor 42 is connected through a switch 42a, having a hook type actuator 42b, to an electric cord 42c adapted to be plugged into a conventional socket, so that when the cutter is hung by hook 42b it is turned off. Shaft 24 is mounted so as to be firmly held against longitudinal movement, and blade 22 is centrally mounted on the shaft for rotation therewith, as by non-circular cooperating portions of the blade and shaft, and a bolt 46 extending through an opening in the center of the blade and threadedly received in the outer end of shaft 24. Suitable resilient means, such as a resilient washer 47 between the inner face of the blade and a shoulder on the outer end of shaft 24, resiliently urge the blade outwardly on the shaft and maintain close cutting relationship between blade arms 25 and guard front wall 27.

The front and side walls of guard 23 have series of openings 50 and 51 for the passage of hair into the path of rotary movement of blade 22. Each of these openings have at least one side defined by a cutting edge which cooperates with suitable cutting edges 52 on blade arms 25 or cutting edges 53 on fingers 26 for cutting any hair extending through openings 50 and 51. Preferably openings 51 of side wall 28 extend only through a limited portion of the side walls, and, e.g., approximately circumferentially around about the one-third of the side wall which extends outwardly farthest from handle 11, so that this portion of the cutting head may be used in trimming beards and mustaches, and, may be operatively positioned in relatively close spaces such as about ears, under armpits, or between animals toes, and hair including hairlike substances such as furs and nap in the form of organic or inorganic substances such as plastics and so forth.

If desired, blade 22 may be pitched in the manner of a propeller to cause an air fiow through openings 50 and 51 for lifting hair or other material, to provide for more accurate cutting.

I claim:

1. A hair cutting device comprising: a casing defining a handle at one end and having an opposite end; a shaft rotatably journalled on said casing; a rigid radial closing said blade, said guard having a broad, generally circular front wall concentric with the axis of said blade, and a narrow, generally cylindrical side wall extending transversely from the periphery of the front wall toward said handle and in the same general direction as said blade fingers, said front and side walls having series of openings adjacent the blade arms and fingers, respectively, for the pasasge of hair into the path of movement of said blade, the series of side wall openings spanning only about a third of the circumference of the guard at the portion of said guard outermost from said handle; cutting edges on said blade arms and fingers cooperating with said guard cutting edges for cutting hair extending through said openings; cooperating means comprising an outwardly extending shoulder on said casing and an inwardly rolled lip on said guard side wall adjacent said series of openings and interlocked with said shoulder, and latch means on said guard and casing spaced from said lip for releasably holding the guard on the casing; cooperating stop means including prongs on the inner surface of the guard side wall and cooperating stops on the casing to limit movement of the guard toward the blade; and resilient means urging said blade toward said guard front wall.

2. A hair cutting device comprising: a casing defining a handle at one end and having an opposite end; a shaft rotatably journalled in said casing; a radial blade at said casing opposite end, said blade being mounted on said shaft for rotation about an axis inclined or perpendicular with respect to the handle, said blade having radially extending cutting edges with generally perpendicular integral arm extensions of said cutting edges on outer ends of the blade toward said handle, motor means mounted on said casing and connected with said shaft for driving said blade; a guard enclosing said blade cutting edges, said guard having a generally circular front wall concentric with the axis of said blade, and a generally cylindrical side wall extending transversely from the periphery of the front wall, said front and side walls having series of openings providing cutting edges and for the passage of hair into the path of movement of said cutting edges of the radial blade, for cutting hair extending through said openings; and cooperating means on the guard and on the casing to limit movement of the guard toward the blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,261,275 Paskinski Nov. 4, 1941 2,322,337 Bahr June 22, 1943 2,331,873 Thews Oct. 19, 1943 2,659,139 Davison Nov. 17, 1953 2,677,885 Chaun May 11, 1954 2,700,215 Elsky Jan. 25, 1955 2,969,592 Felts June 31, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 234,183 Switzerland Dec. 16, 1944 1,094,500 France Dec. 8, 1954 1,201,424 France July 15, 1959 1,034,511 Germany Oct. 1, 1957 

1. A HAIR CUTTING DEVICE COMPRISING: A CASING DEFINING A HANDLE AT ONE END AND HAVING AN OPPOSITE END; A SHAFT ROTATABLY JOURNALLED ON SAID CASING; A RIGID RADIAL BLADE AT SAID CASING OPPOSITE END, SAID BLADE BEING MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXIS INCLINED WITH RESPECT TO THE HANDLE, SAID BLADE HAVING OPPOSED RADIALLY EXTENDING ARMS WITH FINGERS EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM OUTER ENDS OF THE ARMS AND TOWARD SAID HANDLE; MOTOR MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID CASING AND CONNECTED WITH SAID SHAFT FOR DRIVING SAID BLADE; A GENERALLY DISH-SHAPED GUARD RELEASABLY HELD ON SAID CASING AND ENCLOSING SAID BLADE, SAID GUARD HAVING A BROAD, GENERALLY CIRCULAR FRONT WALL CONCENTRIC WITH THE AXIS OF SAID BLADE, AND A NARROW, GENERALLY CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY FROM THE PERIPHERY OF THE FRONT WALL TOWARD SAID HANDLE AND IN THE SAME GENERAL DIRECTION AS SAID BLADE FINGERS, SAID FRONT AND SIDE WALLS HAVING SERIES OF OPENINGS ADJACENT THE BLADE ARMS AND FINGERS, RESPECTIVELY, FOR THE PASSAGE OF HAIR INTO THE PATH OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BLADE, THE SERIES OF SIDE WALL OPENINGS SPANNING ONLY ABOUT A THIRD OF THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE GUARD AT THE PORTION OF SAID GUARD OUTERMOST FROM SAID HANDLE; CUTTING EDGES ON SAID BLADE ARMS AND FINGERS COOPERATING WITH SAID GUARD CUTTING EDGES FOR CUTTING HAIR EXTENDING THROUGH SAID OPENINGS; COOPERATING MEANS COMPRISING AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING SHOULDER ON SAID CASING AND AN INWARDLY ROLLED LIP ON SAID GUARD SIDE WALL ADJACENT SAID SERIES OF OPENINGS AND INTERLOCKED WITH SAID SHOULDER, AND LATCH MEANS ON SAID GUARD AND CASING SPACED FROM SAID LIP FOR RELEASABLY HOLDING THE GUARD ON THE CASING; COOPERATING STOP MEANS INCLUDING PRONGS ON THE INNER SURFACE OF THE GUARD SIDE WALL AND COOPERATING STOPS ON THE CASING TO LIMIT MOVEMENT OF THE GUARD TOWARD THE BLADE; AND RESILIENT MEANS URGING SAID BLADE TOWARD SAID GUARD FRONT WALL. 